Mexican Horchata

Traditional horchata recipes are often incredibly sweet. In fact, many recipes call for more white sugar than rice. This less sweet, but significantly healthier, version skips the white sugar completely and relies on the natural sweetness of Medjool dates and honey instead.

Optional garnish:

4long cinnamon sticks

Ground cinnamon

Instructions

Add rice, organic cinnamon stick, and 4 cups of very warm water to a medium-sized bowl. Let soak overnight at room temperature, or until the rice softens and the cinnamon stick is soft enough to break into several smaller pieces.

Strain contents of blender with a fine-weave mesh strainer and 1-2 layers of cheesecloth. When finished, discard remaining solids in the strainer and transfer the reserved liquid to a pitcher or other container.

Refrigerate until chilled, or serve immediately over ice with whole cinnamon sticks or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, for garnish. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Mexican Horchata

Amount Per Serving

Calories 349Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g14%

Sodium 103mg4%

Potassium 264mg8%

Total Carbohydrates 59g20%

Dietary Fiber 3g12%

Sugars 17g

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A0.4%

Calcium15.4%

Iron6.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

What is Horchata?

Horchata is Mexico’s popular cinnamon-infused rice (or coconut) based creamy drink. The refreshing beverage made its way to Mexico via Spain where it is called horchata de chufa. It’s history in Spain dates back to the 12-century where the popular treat was rice boiled in almond milk scented with cinnamon. The drink was most likely enjoyed in a similar form even earlier than that – it’s likely that it was brought to Spain via the Moors from Egypt.

Horchata is dairy-free, so even those who are lactose intolerant can enjoy this unique beverage.